AI Workshops: BMW Mini Apprentices

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On 19th December 2019, apprentices from BMW’s Mini division took part in an AI workshop organised by world leader in this field, IBM and implementation specialist EBI.AI, focused on the potential opportunities for deploying this kind of technology in car manufacturers like BMW.

AI workshops: BMW Mini
EBI expert Katie Mokrani advising workshop attendees

In an all-day AI workshop, EBI experts Oliver Cox and Katie Mokrani introduced conversational AI, and conversational design to the group. The apprentices then tackled an IBM Watson tutorial and completed a conversational design exercise before starting to think about how they could apply what they were learning at BMW.

“Reducing machine down time, improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and saving cost” being the key benefits identified by one apprentice. “We need to start building a proof of concept bot” was feedback from another, keen to start applying this technology at BMW.

“The anticipated value of Artificial Intelligence in car manufacturers is extremely high, but adoption low” says Toby Woolfe, Executive at IBM. ‘The apprentice programme is a perfect vehicle to build and test such systems in the real environment as this generation of BMW apprentices are already users of this sort of technology in all but their work environment”

AI workshops: BMW Mini
The BMW apprentices working on their AI bots

Following the workshop, the apprentices returned to conduct further research into the possible AI use cases at BMW, and with the guidance and mentorship of the EBI team have the tools and expertise available to help them build their own rudimentary solutions.

EBI.AI conversational analyst, Katie Mokrani said “these apprentices are today learning skills that are going to be incredibly important and valuable in the future of work”. To read more about AI careers and AI’s impact on employment check out our blog about this here. 

 

If you are interested in running an AI workshop for your team, please get in contact touch, we’d love to help your team identify business use cases and aid skill development for implementing AI in your company. 

 

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